The Audit Commission, the Healthcare Commission, and the Commission for Social Care Inspection have jointly undertaken a review to create a national snapshot of the state of services for older people. The review looked at a range of services including care services and services that contribute towards the wellbeing and quality of life of older people. It also looked at progress against the government's National Service Framework for Older People.
The UK has an ageing population. It is expected that, by 2051, a quarter of the population will be over 65 (Office for National Statistics, census data). An ageing population puts pressure on health and social care services, but it also places demands on other services such as transport, leisure and housing.
The scope of the review was broad, reflecting the enormous diversity within this group of people and their wide range of needs, interests and aspirations. This group includes the generations that felt the impact of the two world wars through to the baby boomers who are now in their 50s and 60s. For these reasons, any response to providing services, including care and support, needs to be individually tailored to the needs and aspirations of individuals. The review, therefore, had a strong focus on designing and delivering services around older people, and on the importance of working in partnership to achieve a flexible and holistic response.